Point Person

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963 marked a coming of age moment for West Dallas teenager Arrvel Wilson. On the 50th anniversary of the civil rights protest, the founder of the West Dallas Community School and pastor of the West Dallas Community Church shares his reflections on this pivotal moment in civil rights history and how it shaped his life.

What were your thoughts back in 1963 about the March on Washington and “I Have a Dream” speech?

I was 16 or 17 years old. To see Martin Luther King fighting for civil rights of people was very encouraging to me, a person who couldn’t sit at a lunch counter in downtown Dallas. I had questioned my father about why I couldn’t go to the fair except for that one day in October. His explanation was “that’s how it is now.” To see Dr. King pulling our people together to bring about change was inspiring.

What was the prevailing perception of Dr. King within Dallas’ African-American communities in 1963?

I think some people thought he was a sellout and his way to tackle racism wasn’t the best — that we needed to fight back physically. MLK understood from a biblical perspective that you should actually love your enemies, confront racism in a way that is nonviolent and leave the results to the Lord.

And where did you come down on this issue back then?

My daddy and I disagreed. I looked at it from the perspective of “Go get what you want” and take it by force. To not have the freedom of people around me caused me to respond in a negative way rather than in Martin Luther King’s way. He was stepping up and pushing for rights and it was hard seeing the way he was abused.

Do you remember where you were during the “I Have a Dream” speech?

I remember a group of us watching it on the news at the recreation center in West Dallas and saying: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But one of the things the speech did was to create more hostility toward minorities. Not only did it create anxiety and anger from whites, but also changed African-Americans. Remember, it wasn’t the older generation that started the 1960s sit-ins and protests. It was the younger generation. On one hand, the freedom marches created positive mind-sets for a generation of blacks, but it also created another less-positive mind-set as well.

History, however, was being made right before my eyes. It made me more aware of how one person can have an impact not only on a community, but also on a nation.

How did this period change you?

I began to understand how important it is to not have your feelings alone dictate the outcomes, that you use your brain and history as steppingstones to make that difference. If MLK believed and could make that difference, why can’t I bring about change in West Dallas? You have to realize that you are going to be misunderstood and not everyone is going to jump on the bandwagon, but it shouldn’t change what you desire to do and believe.

When you listen to that speech, what jumps out at you?

The book of Isaiah. He took Scriptures that the black community already understood and used it in a dynamic way. I tell people all the time that despite the burnings and the bombings and the hangings, we’ve withstood the test of time. Even now I get emotional every time I hear that speech.

To use Dr. King’s words, how close to the Promised Land are we today?

Because we live in a world governed by people, we will never be where we should be until the Lord comes back. From my biblical perspective, I know some things will get worse before they get better. But we have a responsibility to live in peace with individuals, to look beyond the color line to a relationship, and it can only come about when individuals understand what true love is all about.

This Q&A was conducted and edited by editorial writer Jim Mitchell. His email is jmitchell@dallasnews.com. Pastor Wilson can be reached atawilson.westdallas@gmail.com.